Dickinson’s “Crumbling is not an instant's act”and Shakespeare’s “That time of year thou mayst in me behold”
Emily Dickinson’s poem, “Crumbling is not an instant's act,” is a fascinating description of how a person’s life or self disintegrates. Reading this text by Dickenson gives the feeling of seeing a deeper truth about a common concept, which in this case is personal “crumbling,” “dilapidation,” or “slipping” (1, 3, 12). Emotions that are depicted in the poem include wonder, detachment, and resignation. The wonder felt about “crumbling” comes from the visual descriptions that Dickinson gives to the process, calling it “a Cobweb on the soul” and “Devil’s work” among other things (5, 9). Dickinson describes the process of “crumbling” as ...
